Wee Wonderfuls

everybody's a winner :)

Hi guys! The three winners for printed dolls (pulled out of a hat of all you sweet commenters) are...

Michelle (greeting arts)
Asha
Leigh

But because I was a kid raised with Sesame Street values, I know we are all winners so... conveniently a project that didn't come to pass was just returned to me in the mail and I thought it'd make a fun freebie. So look for the embroidery pattern for these two on the freebies page some time this week!

And geez.... thanks so much for all the amazing, thoughtful, generous feedback from you guys on that last post. I'm embarassed by all the unbelievably kind things that were said about my work. Thank you. And god do I love comments. love them! I'm going to have to do more giveaways! It's so great to hear from you guys. It helps diminish that whole someone walked in on me singing into a pretend microphone feeling that you can get from blogging.

I had a lot to say about this, that and whatnot but a busy family weekend sort of washed it all away. And now it's Oscar's Spring Break, and raining. Luckily Amy just sent us a copy of the Martha Stewart Cookies book -- I think she's trying to get me to learn how to bake for myself so I don't keep begging for baked goods even after the holidays are long over -- so we're going to tackle some double chocolate brownies today. Wish us luck!

and thanks again.. xoxo

Some doll details, some identity crisis and a little give away!

Please forgive me, I was in a pizza coma when I posted the dolls yesterday & had no energy to type out any info. So here's a little more scoop on the dolls from yesterday. Here's the process: I sketched them. Then Tim traced them in Illustrator. I gave him a palette to color them in and then Tim came up with the cool idea to do each in two colors only to make them more vintage looking, clever boy! To print them out I ironed freezer paper to 8.5 x 11 sheets of muslin and then ran them through the printer. I didn't treat the muslin with bubble jet set to make it permanent but I could and would in the future.

I made these dolls up initially for a swap package I'm getting together for my friend Jen. (Surprise ruined by my desperate need for blog fodder, sorry Jen!) Then I thought they'd do double duty as easter basket goodies for Phoebe and really haven't thought of any plans for them beyond that.  I'm having trouble coming up with plans for anything right now. I'm actually having a little bit of an identity crisis right now. Not about where we are as wee wonderfuls but where we're going. I've become very good at passing on opportunities... b/c of the move, the new baby, the old baby, etc but now I feel like I need to start making some decisions. My mind races with ideas, goals, possibilities and I'm determined to get cracking on some stuff and then someone wakes up from a nap or it's time to go to a playdate or whatever and my brain totally erases. And then it starts all over again the next time I have a free moment...maybe I should try to write a book, no I should just stick with patterns, no I should have my toys manufactured, no I should start an etsy selling baby quilts... what? it's lunch time. zap!

Today my identity crisis has got me looking back at all the old site designs. I promised Tim when he did this last, more simple look that he'd be off the hook and not have to think about redesign for a long time. But now I'm getting itchy.

Anyway! Thanks for reading all that. I'm printing up Jen's set of dolls this weekend and I was thinking I'd print up another set for a give away. I'll pick three commenters from this post and send them each one of the dolls. Sound fun? I think it's time for some Spring folly. As far as comments go, of course feel free to say anything but if you wanted to send along ideas or insights re my identity crisis I'd love to hear them!

*** updated to add ***

thanks everyone! I've closed comments to improve the odds for those that already left comments. this feedback has been wonderful and I have lots more to say, lots more to ponder, and I think some things to clarify so I'll try to check back in this weekend or for sure monday.

three printed dolls

the misunderstood snail

I've been feeling a lot like my little friend here lately....pokey. Thing is, I'm whirling around busy busy busy but have very little output to show for it. Maybe the snail is similarly misunderstood. Maybe hidden inside his shell is a whirlwind of activity.

I'll tell you who has been an actual whirlwind of activity is Carol. Check out her new super cute etsy shop. Her table dots are so clever and have so many great details. I've snatched up mine so now I can share. Won't this be so cute to display Phoebe's 1st birthday cake this June!

overslept

Man, Easter came fast this year! I didn't get to a bunch of stuff I was hoping to... the rest of my moss plans, sewing Phoebe's Easter dress, making baskets, buying just the right basket stuffers, etc. Mother Nature didn't cooperate either with all her blasted snow. So how funny that I should come across this book today at the thrift store. It's about how the Easter Bunny slept right through Easter in his cozy warm burrow because it was raining all day and the sun never came out to wake him up. 

After finally be roused sometime in May, the Easter Bunny proceeds to try to horn in on all the other holidays starting by trying to hand out eggs on Mother's Day and eventually ending up at the North Pole hanging with Santa. I'm not going to be that persistent but I am still going ahead with a few missed projects. I still very much want to make a fancy Phoebe dress out of this. And this morning I sewed up one of the three printed dolls I'd made up for Phoebe's basket. I love how she turned out! Thanks Tim for making her all computery. I'll have to do the other two tonight. Do I do everything in 3's?

rabbitshire

So before Mr. Flu came a knocking I'd come up with a Spring decorating scheme revolving around moss. I was thinking of a whole mossy village with bunnies and maybe a train. Sort of a Christmas thing but covered in fake moss instead of fake snow. I dragged the family to the Michaels and came home with a moss covered rabbit thing, styrofoam balls, bags of moss, plastic flowers sprigs, glittery eggs and some glittery bunnies on sticks. Oscar and I spent the day hobbling together this here rabbitshire. It's where the Easter bunnies live year round and hide their glittery eggs. The next day half of us were down flat with high fevers and hallucinations. I'm wondering if maybe we weren't already feeling the effects when we started down this mossy road...

To class it up a bit I found this fantastic moss nest a fancy shop downtown. I love it! May need to hit some post-holiday sales for more mossiness to put up next year.

when's the lamb part?

we get the lion part but what about the out like a lamb? we're gearing up for it!

spring!

it's definitely feeling seasonally correct around here today. the weather channel says it won't last but we're ignoring them and basking in the warm sun as if it's here for good. the flu is finally on its way and I can't help but be optimistic. there may even be time to salvage some spring/easter plans and projects and then I'm excited to get jumping on those doll patterns. I've even got the spring fairy, the tulip fairy, on the hoop..

maybe we'll get sun with our snow tomorrow and I can show off my crazy pre-flu spring decorating plans involving moss.

Kit answers her ten

    Name: Kit
    Age: 10

    Favorite subjects in school?
     Art & Science

    Your best sport?
     Karate

    Fav designers?
     myself!

    Current project?
     comic book

    Your wheels are?
     skateboard

    Your favorite doll?
     my hacked Barbies and my Blythe

    Favorite movie?
     Star Wars

    What WB heroine do you most relate with?
     Buffy

    You wear an apron to...?
     paint

    Book you've checked out the most times from the library?
     The Golden Compass

Louise and her 10 questions

    Name: Louise
    Age: 9

    Favorite subjects in school?
     History & Social Studies

    Your best sport?
     Scrabble

    Fav designers?
     Marc Jacobs

    Current project?
     patchwork bookbag

    Your wheels are?
     rollerskates

    Your favorite doll?
     Holly Hobbie

    Favorite movie?
     Amelie

    What WB heroine do you most relate with?
     Rory Gilmore

    You wear an apron to...?
     school

    Book you've checked out the most times from the library?
     O Pioneers!

Feel free to send along more questions for Louise! Chloe's still working on hers. We're all a little slow moving these days. Half of team Lang is down with the flu but we're chugging along. As for the questions that were for me, yes we're working on the patterns for these dolls and yes, the hair instructions will be included. If this sunny weather holds out, Kit will be popping in tomorrow to say hi.